Most dog owners treat dogs like part of the family—we talk to them, believe they’re communicating back, and talk about their innate understanding of our emotions. Some of us even talk about dogs having beautiful souls, and how they go to heaven.

There are many definitions of what exactly a soul is, and your definition of what a soul is will ultimately determine whether you believe dogs have souls.

What Is a Soul?

The soul is primarily considered a religious concept. There is no physical or biological evidence of the existence of a soul, and most religions consider it to be the non-physical element of humans. The element that is responsible for everything from free thinking to morals and thoughts.

To some, it is also the soul that separates from the physical body, on death and moves on to the afterlife. To some ancient philosophers, it did not have this spiritual element and was a culmination of our thoughts and internal processes that could not be seen or proven.

If you consider a soul to be a collection of thoughts, emotions, and decisions, dogs have souls. They have thoughts, they certainly have emotions, and they will make decisions based on these. If your definition of soul is more spiritual, then it depends on your interpretation of that religion.

Generally, though, most religions do not believe dogs or any other animals have souls. They believe souls to be unique to humans. Unfortunately, that also means that dogs won’t go to heaven—at least, not the same heaven as their owners.

Intelligence

Dogs are highly intelligent. Some can learn to understand and respond to a vocabulary of 150 words or more. They can learn to trick or deceive other dogs and even their owners. And, according to some researchers, their intelligence is similar to that of a 2- to 3-year-old child, although, to many of us, they can feel much more intelligent than that. However, intelligence isn’t necessarily an indication of a soul.

Empathy

Our canine companions often mirror our emotions. They look sad and feel down when we’re sad and down. They get lively and excited when we’re happy. Studies even suggest that dogs show empathetic behavior when they are around crying strangers.

Most of us have seen dogs tilting their head to one side when they are near a crying child.

Caring

There is evidence to suggest dogs have been domesticated for 30,000 years, making dogs the first animals to be domesticated and live alongside people. Initially, they were often used as working animals, but they were also kept as pets, leading to the strong link between people and canines.

Conclusion

As well as keeping dogs as pets, they are used as therapy dogs, emotional support animals, and in a host of other caring roles. They seem to have an innate sense of how people are feeling and what they need.

So, while it is unclear whether dogs really have a soul, which ultimately depends on your definition of what a soul is, it is clear that dogs and people have a very strong link and that dogs are special.

Featured Image Credit: Orawan Pattarawimonchai, Shutterstock